Method of making automobile frames



March 5, 1940- E. RIEMENSCHNEIDER 2,192,560

METHOD OF MAKING AUTOMOBILE FRAMES Filed April 19 1933 INVENTOR 561/517 ZEMEA/idl/A/IEDEZ Patented Mar. 5, 1940 2,192,560 METHOD or MAKING AUTOMOBILE FRAMES I Ernest Riemenschneider, Cleveland, Ohio, assignor to The Midland Steel Products Company,

Cleveland, Ohio, a corporation of Ohio Application April 19,1933, Serial No. 666,860

16 Claims. (01. 29-152) This invention relates to newand useful improvements in the manufacture of automobile frames and more particularly the type in which the component parts are of tubular or box sec- J tion.

An important object of the invention is to construct the side rails of automotive frames from very light gauge tubular stock; the invention also comprehending the provision of kick-up portions in the rails of less diameter than the mid-section but possessing greater wall. thickmess tobetter withstand loads and stresses inci-' dent to its use.

improved means for connecting cross members to the tubular side rails.

A further object is to provide spring hanger supports on the extended ends of certain cross members.

A still further object is to provide a pressed metal cross member of box section with means providing box section joints with the side rails.

Other objects and advantages'of the invention will become apparent during the course of the following description.

In the accompanying drawing forming a part of the application and whereinlike numerals are employed to designate like parts throughoutthe .several views,

39 Fig. l is a side elevation of a length of tubular stock employed in the formation of a side rail,

Fig. 2 is a top plan of the same illustrating the first step of reducing the diameter of the ends and after the flattening step to provide a true closed box section, with the springs shown in dotted lines to illustrate their relative association with 1 the rails or frame,

Fig. 6 is a transverse section taken on the lines 66 of Figs. 1, 2 and 4.

Fig. 7 is a transverse section takenon theline 1-! of Fig. 5, i

" Fig. 8 is a longitudinal section taken at one end of the rail along the line 8-8 of Fig. 2,

0 Fig. 9 is a similar section taken along the line' 5-9 of Fig. 2, Fig. 10 is a perspective view showing the pre ferred frame assembled,

Another object of the invention is to provide ing one way of attaching the cross members to the side rails, I

Fig. 12 is a similar section showing a modified form of fastening the cross members to the box section side rails,

' Fig. 13 isa transverse section through one of the cross members looking toward the 'side rail illustrating the manner of key welding a flange of the cross member to the inner web portion of the rail. j

Fig. 14 is an enlarged plan showing the con- 7 struction of partsemployedin key welding.

Referring now to the drawing for details, the numeral M designates a length of tubular stock appropriate for the formation of a complete side rail I5 of an automotive vehicle. This stock-- is preferably very light gauge such as stock,

due" in a'meas'ure to the torsion resisting ability of a tubular section over the channel section and the additionalstrength which isbuilt into the'ra ils'with my herein disclosed method of manufacture and type of cross members. The stock for the side rails is preferably circular in cross section as shown in- Fig. 6 and is preferably, but not necessarily, obtained from a continuous method of producing welded tubing from flat stock rolled up into tubular formation and then welded along a single longitudinally extending seam 'ltgas disclosed in my 'co-pending applications. 'However, it is to be understood that any klnd of'tubing, seamless or. otherwise, may be employed in the method and the sections of the stock may be circular, oval, rectangular. or otherwise. In the present instance, I' will describe the method using the stock which is circular in cross sectio'ni v After the stock has been cut to the required length, one end ll, constituting the forward end of the side rail is reduced in diameter and approximate locality of the dash line or at least to a point'where the rear hangers I8 of the front springs l9 are securedto the rail. The taper at this .end is gradually back into, the original diameter of the stock and is accomplished'by running the end into a swaging machine or any other-suitable apparatus which will give the end 'I'I the-contour illustrated and at the same time substantially increase the wall thickness of the tapered end as indicated. by the dotted line 20. This tapering and reduction of the ends of the tubing is sufficiently extensive to -take in the entire "front kick-up or oifset portion 2!.

f The other or rear end 22 of the stock'is similarlyreduced but to a great-i! degree from its tapered from its free end to a point back to the free end to a point in proximity to the front hanger 23 of the rear spring 24 so that the wall thickness of a considerable rear end portion of the rail is materially increased as indicated in dotted lines 25. The diameterof the rear end 22 of the side rail is reduced over a greater distance or length than the forward end, to obtain greater clearance for the rear axle without the necessity of too severe a kick-up or oifset portion in the rail. This also provides for the introduction of greater wall thickness at the rear kick-up than at the forward one, but of course the wall thickness of both oifset or kick-up portions can be made uniform or proportioned as desired. It will be noted that the taper of the major portion of the rear end 22 is more gradual than the forward end from the free end just beyond the kick-up from which point the taper increases to cause the rear end to more gradually merge into the--mid-section 28 of the rail.

After the ends of. the rail have been reduced.

in diameter and increased in wall thickness as shown in 2, they are run into suitable tube bending equipment to provide the forward and rear ends with the offset or kick-up portions 2| and 26. be appreciated that the stock remains circular or approximately so in cross section. Of course if the original stock is other than circular in cross section to start with, it will possess the same cross section when it reaches the conditionas shown in Fig. 4 in the operations, with of course, the ends reduced and their wall thickness increased. Obviously, if the stock is originally box or rectangular in cross section with substantiallyflat side walls .29, as shown in Fig. 7, the side rail requires no further for.

ing operation and at this stage is ready for the assembly of the cross members.

-However, when the original stock is circular in cross section, it is desirable to flatten the rail shownin 4 to bring it to closed box section for additional strength as shown in Fig. 7 and this may be accomplished by flattening the entire length of the rail by subjecting the rail shown in Fig. 4 to the action of suitably contoured flattening dies in the well known form of press or by subjecting the rail to inward pressure on all sides between suitably contoured pressure rolls.

Two rails thus formed are connected in the desired relation by tubular cross members as shown in Fig. 1G. The front cross member is formed by two oppositely facing channel members 30, with the longitudinal edges of the flanges welded together as at iii. The ends 32 of the channel members adjacent the side rails diverge outwardly and are provided with flanges 33 which are welded in any desired manner to the inner web portion 34 of the side rails. Triangular gussets 43 are posi tioned in between the diverging ends of the channel members at the top and bottom thereof in the planes of the top and bottom flanges, to be welded to the edges of the flanges and to the side rails to form the ends of the cross member into closed box cross section. In case this type of cross member is incorporated in a frame having the usual channel section side rails, the edges of the gussets 43 are welded to the edges of the inwardly extending.

flanges of the side rails.

The secondand third cross members 35 are tubes and their opposite ends are extended through registering openings provided in the spaced web portions 34 and 36 of the side rail; The inner web 34 is secured'to the tubular cross During the foregoing steps, it will member 35 by a weld 3'1 extending circumferentially around the entire circumference of the tube, while the outer end of the tube projects a distance beyond the outer web 38 and in the case of the third cross member, is melted down and fused to the outer web 35 by any suitable welding equipment. If desired, the webs of the rails may be provided with inwardly or outwardly projecting annular flanges surrounding the opening through which the ends of the cross'member extend and the ends of these flanges may be fused to the ends of thetubular cross member. The second tubular cross member 35 may have its two ends 35 extended beyond the outer websof the side rails and have spring hangers 44 secured thereto as shown in Fig. 11.

A fourth cross member 38 is secured to the two rails just in front of the rear kick-ups 26 and adjacent to where the latter merge into the midsection of the rails. This cross member 38 is also preferably of tubular form and its ends 38 may be extended outwardly. beyond the outer webs .of the rails to have spring hangers mounted thereon. This cross member on the third one 35 may be provided with an integral flange 39 at each end for abutment with the inner web 34 of each side rail. This flange is provided with a series of ciroumferentially extending keyhole shaped slots 40 whereby they can be are welded to the inner web of the rail. It will be noted that the slots 40 are not of uniform width throughout but terminate at one end in an enlarged end portion 43 whereby the flame of the welding torch can be entered to properly fuse the metal of the web simultaneously with the edges of the slots, after which the flame of the welding torch can be moved into the narrower portion of the slot to properly fuse the balance thereof to the web portion. An opening 44 substantially concentric with each enlarged end 43 of each slot is provided in the underlying web 3 to facilitate simultaneous fusion of the members to be joined, and some of the fused metal will be deposited in the opening 44 to additionally lock the parts together.

A fifth tubular or elliptical cross section cross member 4! connects the rails immediately behind thekick-up 26, or if desired, may be connected to the mid-portions of the kick-ups, with a sixth tubular or elliptical cross section cross member 42 tying the extreme rear ends of the rails together. While various methods of attaching the cross members to the side rails have been specified in connection with certain cross members, it will be understood that any of the modes of attachment h rein disclosed may be employed for attaching any of the cross members to the side rails. The cross members may also be of any cross section or shape to provide clearances for other parts of the vehicle or for any other purpose. It will also be noted that the longitudinal weld E6 in the stock isshown disposed in the top of the rail, but it may of course be arranged so that it is arranged at the bottom of the rail, or in either side web thereof.

It is to be understood that various changes in the size, shape and arrangement of parts may be resorted to without departing from the spirit of the invention or the scope of the appended claims.

I claim:

1. The method of making an automobile side rail havingkick-ups. adjacent the ends consisting of reducing the ends of tubular stock to decrease their diameter and materially increase their wall thickness from. the free ends to points beyond the kick-ups, bending the reduced ends to provide the kick-ups in the thickened ends, and flattening the entire rail to impart closed box section thereto throughout its entire length.

2. The method of making an automobile side rail having a kick-up adjacent its end, consisting of reducing the end of tubular stock from its free end to a point adjacent the inner end of the kickup to decrease its diameter and increase its wall thickness, bending the reduced end to provide the kick-up, and then flattening the reduced end to impart box section thereto.

3. The method of making an automobile side rail having a kick-up portion consisting of gradually tapering one end of tubular stock from its free end to a point adjacent the inner end of the kick-up portion while proportionately increasing the wall thickness thereof from said point outwardly to said free end, and bending the tapered and thickened end to provide a kickup portion having walls thicker than the original tubular stock.

4. The method of making an automobile side rail having a kick-up portion consisting of gradually tapering one end of tubular stock from its free end to a point adjacent the inner end of the kick-up portion while proportionately increasing the wall thickness thereof from said point outwardly to said free end, bending the tapered and thickened end to provide a kickup portion having walls thicker than the original tubular stock and then forming the rail to impart closed substantially rectangular box section thereto.

5. The method of making an automobile chassis frame which comprises bending two elongated sheet metal strips on longitudinal lines to form tubes each having a single longitudinal seam, welding each tube along the seam therein to form a tubular side-member for the frame, bending each side member longitudinally while maintaining its tubular structure, and securing the two side-members together in spaced relation by crossmembers whose end portions are secured to the side members.

6. The method of making an automobile chassis frame which comprises bending two elongated sheet metal strips on longitudinal lines to form tubes, each having parallel side walls and a single longitudinal seam, welding each tube along the seam therein to form a tubular side-member for the frame, bendingeach side member longitudinally while maintaining its tubular structure, providing aligned openings in opposite side walls of each side-member at a plurality of points therein, and securing the two side-members together in spaced relation by cross-members each having each end extending through a pair of aligned openings in the side walls of a side-member and secured to both of said side walls.

7. The method of making an automobile chassis frame which comprises bending two elongated sheet metal strips on longitudinal lines to form tubes of rectangular cross-section each having a single longitudinal seam adjacent one of the corners of the rectangle, welding each tube along the seam therein to form a tubular side-member for the frame, bending each sidemember longitudinally while maintaining its tubular structure, and securing the two side members together in parallel relation by cross-members whose end portions are secured to the sidemembers.

8. The method of making an automobile chassis frame which comprises bending two elongated sheet metal strips on longitudinal lines to form tubes, each having a single longitudinal seam, welding each tube along the seam therein to form a tubular side-member for the frame, and securing the two side members together in spaced relation by cross-members whose end portions are secured to the side members.

9. The method of making an automobile chassis frame which comprises bending two elongated sheet metal strips on longitudinal lines to form tubes, each having parallel side walls and a single longitudinal seam, welding each chassis frame which comprises bending two elongated sheet metal strips on longitudinal lines to form tubes, each of which is of rectangular cross-section and has a single lengthwise seam therein adjacent to one corner of the rectangle, welding each tube along the single lengthwise seam therein to form a tubular side-member for the frame, forming aligned openings in opposite side walls of each side-member at a plurality of points therein and securing the two side-members together in spaced relation by tubular crossmembers, each having each end extending through a pair of aligned openings in the side wallsof a side-member and secured to both of said side walls by being welded thereto.

11. The method of making an automobile chassis frame which comprises forming two sheet metal side-members which are of rectangular tubular form over certain portions of their length, forming aligned openings in the side walls of said rectangular tubular portions of the side members and securing the two side-members together in spaced relation by a tubular metallic cross-member having each of its ends extending through a pair of aligned openings in the side walls of a side member and secured to both of said side walls by being welded thereto.

12. The method of making an automobile chassis frame which comprises bending two elongated sheet metal strips on longitudinal lines to form tubes, each having a single longitudinal seam, welding each tube along the seam therein to form a tubular side-member for the frame, and securing the two side-members together in spaced relation by cross members, one of said cross-members having each of its ends extending through an opening in the inner side wall of a side-member and secured to both side walls of that side-member.

13. An automobile chassis frame comprising the combination of two side-members each formed from a single piece of sheet metal which is bent along lines extending longitudinally thereof to a tubular cross-section-presenting a single lengthwise seam and having the seam edges welded together, and a plurality of crossmembers connecting the side-members and each having each of its ends extending through openings in the inner and outer side walls of a sidemember and secured to both of said side walls.

14. An automobile chassis frame comprising the combination of two side-members each formed from a single piece of sheet metal which is bent along lines extending longitudinally thereof to a tubular cross-section presenting a single lengthwise seam and having the seam edges welded together and each of said side members being curved in the direction of its length, and a plurality of cross-members conthereof to a rectangular tubular cross-section presenting a single lengthwise seam and having the seam edges welded together, each of said side members being curved in the direction of its length, and a plurality of cross-members connecting the side-members together in spaced relation and each having each of its ends passing through a closely fitting opening in the innerwall of a side-member and passing through an opening in the outer wall of the side-member and secured to said outer wall.

16. In an automobile chassis frame comprising the combination of two side-members each formed from a single piece of sheet metal which is bent along lengthwise lines so that the metal of the piece from one lateral edge to the other forms the four sides of a rectangular tubular member presenting a single lengthwise seam and having the seam edges Welded together, each of said side members being curved in the direction of its length, and a plurality of cross-members connecting the side-members together in a spaced relation and each having each of its ends secured to a side-member.

ERNEST RIEMENSCHNEIDER. 

